Adirondack Peeks Summer 2023

Poem Cry for the Land Andy Caruso, #5822

Standing on the mountain top looking at the view, Knowing where we’ve come from, Wondering where we’re going to.

Looking at the waters so blue, The mountains so very green, Looking at the highways and houses in between. Turn around and look up North, To the Wilderness we seek, Rolling hills, mountains and Adirondack Peaks. The mountains in the distance, The water at our feet, The wind softly whispering, “this land you must safely keep.”

Who will cry for the Lands, Who will cry for the waters, Will we try and make a stand, To save this for our sons and daughters. For if we let it go to hell, Defeated by the Human Race, We lose not just these mountains, But, many a Special Place.

LETTER TO THE EDITORS

Dear Editor, Like Ed Rowland, I was first exposed to the High Peaks as a Boy Scout in Troop 28 in Lawrence Township, NJ. My yearly trips began in 2006 and continued until I finished my 46 in 2012. I had no idea of the history Ed mentioned in his article in the Winter 2023 edition of PEEKS . Our troop would always take a week-long camping trip in the summer, but at that time we were a smaller troop and the history Ed mentions had been lost to time. The Adirondacks still called to those in the troop though, so some kernel of that spirit of adventure remained, even if we didn't remember where it came from. Imagine my surprise and delight seeing Troop 28 from the 1970s in the pages of PEEKS . Our trips were remarkably similar to Ed's—although thankfully devoid of the serious incidents. We would hike into a base camp (near Johns Brook Lodge, Lake Colden, or other spots) and day hike up the peaks. We did have several encounters with the infamous bear "Yellow Yel low" in the mid-to-late 2000s. The troop first ran into her in 2004 in the Marcy Dam area, and scared her off. In 2008 we stayed at the Flowed lands lean-to and awoke in the middle of the night to find her open ing up our clear blue Bearvault canisters. The smartest bear that ever lived! She feasted on our granola bars and trail mix, and we learned our lesson to only use the hard black plastic canisters going forward. She unfortunately was killed by a hunter (legally) some years later. Best, Dan Becerra, #7548

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